Obama concedes remarks about bitter working class voters who "cling to guns or religion" were "ill chosen:"
"I didn't say it as well as I should have," he said.
Obama is still out of touch -- it's not how he said it, it's what he said:
You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
By now you must have heard about Obama's Liberal/Progressive elitist put down of small town America.
At a San Francisco fundraiser last Sunday, Obama revealed jut how removed he is from those who inhabit flyover country:
You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
I was born and raised in flyover country. In my case, it was a rural agricultural community in Northern California. The small town America I know may cling to guns and religion, but it sure as hell isn't out of bitterness. No, my small town America clings to guns and religion because of tradition. It's the way we were 'raised. We are a self-reliant folk. We don't look to, nor do we expect, the government to coddle us or solve every problem that some Liberal/Progressive elitist politician can identify. Actually, like President Reagan, we tend to think government is more often the problem. The more we can keep the government out of lives, the better off we are.
I resent Obama's assertion that us country folk suffer from "antipathy" toward others. I find it personally offensive. I was raised to respect others and was taught that I should strive, like God, to be "no respecter of persons." I've always tried to do that, and so do the small town folk I know.
McCain sees working-class voters -- many of them once and possibly still "Reagan Democrats" -- as a critical constituency for his hopes of winning the White House. His advisers say Obama will have trouble locking down that support in the general election because his message has been focused more on changing the system than on delivering results.
"It's a remarkable statement and extremely revealing," McCain adviser Steve Schmidt said in a statement. "It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking, it is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."
When I first heard about Obama's insult to small town America, I thought his handlers would come up with some clever way to apologize. Instead, after initially dismissing criticism of Obama's remarks in a written statement, in Terre Haute, Indiana, Friday night, Obama repeated the insult.
Hillary issued several statements criticizing Mr. Obama, calling Obama "out of touch." The McCain campaign also weighed in:
“It shows an elitism and condescension toward hard-working Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain. “It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans.”
Obama's remarks aren't likely to cost him the Democratic nomination. Nevertheless, one only has to envision those red and blue electoral maps showing county by county the results of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, to realize the "out of touch" Obama will now be even less likely to defeat Senator McCain in November.
A new Temple University poll finds Hillary continues to lead Obama in Pennsylvania, 44% to 35% percent among Pennsylvanians likely to vote in the Democratic presidential primary. That comfortable margin shrinks when undecided voters are included:
Nineteen percent remain undecided or refuse to express a preference, but that group leans toward Obama. Adding in the undecided voters who lean to one candidate or the other shrinks Clinton’s lead to 47 – 41 percent.
The Temple poll also found "stark demographic differences:"
• 83 percent of blacks favor Obama, compared to 31 percent of whites
• 79 percent under the age of 30 favor Obama, compared to 28 percent over 60 years old
• 55 percent of women favor Clinton, compared to 32 percent of men
A recent AP-Ipsos poll found Obama losing ground among some of those groups:
Against McCain, Obama lost ground among women — from 57 percent in February to 47 percent in April. Obama dropped 12 points among women under 45, 14 points among suburban women and 15 points among married women.
He also lost nine points or more among voters under 35, high-income households, whites, Catholics, independents, Southerners, people living in the Northeast and those with a high school education or less.
A new Zogby poll finds Hillary's lead in Pennsylvania even smaller 47% to 43%. Hillary does better in western Pennsylvania, around Pittsburgh, and in the central part of the state. Obama is doing well in eastern Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
Michael G. Hagen, director of Temple’s Institute for Public Affairs, says the Pennsylvania contest could depend on turnout:
The race remains close enough that turnout will be critical, especially in the all-important allocation of convention delegates. The two sides bring different assets to the turnout contest. The Clinton campaign has the backing of more of Pennsylvania’s top elected officials, but the Obama campaign will have more money to spend to get out the vote.
Pennsylvania is one of those states Hillary has to win. Obama has a chance to deny her that victory and thereby the nomination, if he didn't completely blow it with his insult to small-town America.
A new AP-Ipsos poll finds that Senator John McCain, the Republican Presidential Nominee to be, has erased Obama's 10-point lead and is now tied with Obama 45%-45%.
Perhaps the constant hammering Obama has taken recently, from nonpartisan fact checkers and numerous media outlets, for his, and the Democrats', gross distortion of McCain's 100 years comment caught up with Obama.
About a quarter of Obama supporters say they'll vote for McCain if Clinton is the Democratic nominee. About a third of Clinton supporters say they would vote for McCain if it's Obama.
Obama is losing ground among various groups:
Against McCain, Obama lost ground among women — from 57 percent in February to 47 percent in April. Obama dropped 12 points among women under 45, 14 points among suburban women and 15 points among married women.
He also lost nine points or more among voters under 35, high-income households, whites, Catholics, independents, Southerners, people living in the Northeast and those with a high school education or less.
Diane Sawyer interviewed Colin Powell on "Good Morning America" and discussed the Olympics, Iraq, and , race and the 2008 election.
Presidential Election
Powell insists he hasn't yet decided whom he'll back in the 2008 presidential election:
"I'm looking at all three candidates," Powell said in an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer for Thursday's "Good Morning America" on ABC. "I know them all very, very well. I consider myself a friend of each and every one of them. And I have not decided who I will vote for yet."
Rejects Olympic Boycott
Powell rejects a boycott of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in China:
"That's a judgment the president will have to make. I would not boycott the opening ceremony," Powell told Sawyer.
Powell insists that a boycott will not accomplish its objective:
"We always are aware and have been aware of Chinese human rights problems. And I think if you start to take this kind of action, it doesn't really serve the purpose of human rights," Powell told "Good Morning America."
"What is accomplished by boycotting the opening ceremony?" Powell asked rhetorically. "I don't think that makes the situation any better. It probably makes the situation a little more difficult for the Chinese because they will pull back even more."
Powell encouraged China to begin a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.
"I think we ought (to) recognize that these protests are legitimate, recognize that the Chinese ought to move forward and start having a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, and not just say, 'We're not going to talk to you.' (The) Dalai Lama has indicated flexibility. And I think that's what the Chinese should do," he said. "But I don't think that these kinds of actions, such as boycotting an opening ceremony, or even perhaps thinking twice about sending your team to the Olympics, has the desired effect."
"I very much supported in 2001, when I was secretary of state, that we give the Olympics to the Chinese because I thought it would put them under a spotlight. And they have responded to that spotlight," he said. "But they haven't with respect to Tibet. And these demonstrations show the Chinese leadership that the world is watching this."
Iraq
Powell expressed concern about the burden Iraq puts on the country's military:
"I'll tell you what they're all going to face -- whichever one of them becomes president on Jan. 21 of 2009 -- they will face a military force, a United States military force, that cannot sustain, continue to sustain, 140,000 people deployed in Iraq, and the 20 (to) 25,000 people we have deployed in Afghanistan, and our other deployments," Powell said.
[. . .]
"I think it's time to begin an orderly process of withdrawing our troops, start rebuilding our military and focusing on the challenges posed by Afghanistan," Clinton said during a Senate Armed Services hearing on Tuesday.
Powell, as a soldier, says while military options are always on the table, would be a very tough target.
Race
Powell condemned controversial remarks by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor of 20 years, as "deplorable" but complimented Obama for his speech on race:
"Rev. Wright is also somebody who has made enormous contributions in his community and has turned a lot of lives around," Powell said, "And so, I have to put that in context with these very offensive comments that he made, which I reject out of hand."
[. . .]
"I think that Sen. Obama handled the issue well . . . he didn't look the other way. He didn't wait for the, for the, you know, for the storm to go over. He went on television, and I thought, gave a very, very thoughtful, direct speech. And he didn't abandon the minister who brought him closer to his faith," Powell told Sawyer.
You can watch the interview in the following video.
Powell was impressive in his ability to weave answers around tough questions and not offend any of the potential powers to be. Very diplomatic and thoughtful.
McCain was asked whether he would resign this summer, and give his replacement the opportunity to run with McCain at the top of the ticket, rather than wait and resign only if he wins.
"No, I will not," McCain told the crowd at a town hall style meeting in Westport, Connecticut. "I have every confidence that there are a number of Republicans who would be elected in my place. So I do not envision a scenario of resigning my seat."
McCain also said he will think about whether or not it makes more sense to resign:
"I will go back and think about it, and think about the scenario that you just described," he continued. "But right now my intentions are to remain in the United States Senate."
Should McCain decide to resign, Arizona law requires that the governor appoint someone from the same party as the departing Senator. That person would serve until the next election in 2010.
McCain should consider posing a challenge to his Democrat opponents -- he will resign if they will. What do you think?
The Democrats’ “Dream Ticket” is a nightmare in Democrat dominated New York.
A new WSNB/Marist poll finds a John McCain/Condoleezza Rice presidential ticket would defeat the Democrats' so-called dream team of Hillary/Obama --49% to 46%. The Republicans do even better if Obama is at the top of the ticket -- 49% to 44%.
Maybe this explains why Nancy Pelosi continues to say the Dems' dream team will not come to pass. Obama has dismissed the idea of a Democrat dream team as well.
Senior al Qaeda planner Obaidah al Masri, believed to be a key figure in the 2005 London subway and bus bombings and a foiled 2006 plot to blow up commercial airliners, is dead:
"The sense is that he is dead," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. McClatchy newspapers reported that Masri died of hepatitis in Pakistan. The official said Masri appeared to have died of natural causes.
Campaign spokesman Jay Carson "said in response to a query from The Associated Press that the senator's opposition is 'clear and firm.' He added: 'Like other married couples who disagree on issues from time to time, she disagrees with her husband on this issue. President Clinton has been public about his support for Colombia's request for U.S. trade preferences since 2000.'"
Right -- just like other married couples.
The New York Post reports, Bill Clinton was paid $800,000 in speaking fees for his support of the Columbia free-trade deal:
In June 2005, Bill Clinton, who holds enormous sway as an adviser to his wife, was quoted by the Spanish-language news portal Terra as publicly backing the trade pact at an appearance with Colombia President Alvaro Uribe.
"I will raise your point when you return to the United States," Clinton said, according to a translation by Politico.com. "I am in favor of the free-trade agreement and it is my hope that we will find the right formula to reach the agreement."
The same month, Bill Clinton reaped the six-figure windfall from the Colombia-based development group Gold Service International - a booster of the trade agreement - for four speeches.
So will former President Clinton be fired demoted as was Penn?
She's never run a city; she's never run a state; she's never run a business; she's never met a payroll; she's never been responsible for the safety and security of millions of people, much less even hundreds of people. So I'm trying to figure out where the experience is here.
If she can't run a campaign, how can she run the federal government?
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